Family’s plea after Christmas lights are stolen

A couple are appealing for help finding the Christmas lights that they put up to help their daughter after they were stolen.

The lights in the front garden of Sarah and Andrew Newton’s home in Hinwick Road, Wollaston, were stolen on Sunday evening (December 15).

Sarah said: “We have a 13-year-old daughter who has a rare chromosome disorder called Pitt Hopkins Syndrome, which means she unable to walk or talk and attends a class for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties at Greenfields Special School in Northampton.

“When she was tiny we noticed how fantastic lights are to stimulate and motivate her and, obviously, Christmas is an amazing time for her. So, over the years, we have gradually built up a collection of Christmas lights that we put up outside our house. Some of the lights have been donated to us for her.

“We have also used the lights as an opportunity to bring the community together and have held four Christmas celebration evenings over the past few years with a group of our neighbours and raised money for cancer charities. On December 7th this year we were able to send £500 to Macmillan Cancer Care.

“That’s why we have the lights and that’s why we are so upset that someone has taken some of them. We think it was while the X Factor final was on TV (between 8 and 9.30pm).”

There are nine sets missing - a large freestanding reindeer, a sleigh with a light-up Santa on, a set of three cube-shaped parcels, two lanterns that hang from wall brackets and a large set of three candles.

Sarah added: “It’s a long shot but someone may notice these appear somewhere and we would love them back.”